Jacksonville Jaguars fans couldn’t be happier with the return of veteran nose tackle Marcell Dareus, who restructured his deal last weekend to remain with the organization. However, despite taking a pay cut for the team, it’s also a decision he too is happy with as Dareus told the Action Sports Jax crew over at ESPN 690 AM that the Jags’ staff and atmosphere has made football enjoyable for him since joining the team.
“I’ve made a lot of money and I love being apart of the Jacksonville Jaguars with the familiar faces,” Dareus said. “I can actually say with Marrone and the coaching staff there on top of making the money I make that it’s just fun now. I feel like I’m back in high school where it’s not about the money, it’s more about bringing everyone together for one common goal. It’s fun to sit back and watch these young guys develop and watching myself transition to a person who looks at the game that way again.”
While some haven’t seen eye-to-eye with the current staff and Tom Coughlin, Dareus isn’t the first to praise their approach as defensive lineman Calais Campbell also said he returned on a restructured deal partly because he liked his situation in Jacksonville.
According to Jags general manager Dave Caldwell, Dareus actually went to the front office to about restructuring the deal, which speaks volumes of how he truly feels. His selfless act is also one that ultimately helps put the team in good position to land more playmakers going forward as it wasn’t that long ago that they were barely under the salary cap.
